Belle Vie (2022)

A much loved Parisian-style bistro located in Los Angeles between a thriving McDonalds and KFC, Belle Vie is owned and operated by the charming and hopeful Vincent Samarco, who struggles to adapt, survive and keep the bistro alive in the midst of a pandemic that has ravaged small businesses everywhere.This was a really well done documentary that captures part of a culturally and historically significant period in American history on film. During the pandemic, we all heard stories about how hard the shutdowns impacted small businesses, particularly restaurants. This doc follows one such restaurant, Belle Vie, throughout the pandemic and offers a real look at the type of struggles faced by so many small businesses.I think what really elevated this film though was the approach taken towards the subject matter. It would have been incredibly easy to fill hours of screentime about how terrible the pandemic was for so many people on so many fronts. But rather than focusing solely on the crushing negative aspects of pandemic life or getting unwittingly dragged into politics, the filmmakers ultimately used Belle Vie to tell a story about perseverance and all the things that can make life so beautiful.Def worth a watch!